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Sara Hill: Make-Up for Humans

Extra

Sara Hill Make Up for Humans

Forward-thinking Scottish make-up artist Sara Hill has launched a new campaign for her eponymous make-up line that celebrates inclusivity, individuality, and the joy of self-expression afforded by beauty products.

The #makeupforhumans campaign showcases the brand’s highly pigmented eye products on a diverse trio of models – two of whom are men – drumming in the message of inclusiveness, diversity and gender fluidity. See our Liberating Gender report for more on these themes.

“In the same way fashion has always celebrated the unusual, my models are not typical – they are unique, and they question people’s perceptions of what is ‘perfect’,” Hill told Stylus.

This questioning, exploratory attitude will grow – especially among youth and teen consumers. “Make-up isn’t beauty – it’s paint and play, self-expression and transformation,” said Hill. “It’s not about being the best version of yourself, but being yourself, however you want to be.” For more on teen attitudes to beauty, look out for two Retail and Beauty reports publishing later this month.

A backlash against industry standards is also expected to push brands to address they way they target consumers. “I wanted to speak my truth about the beauty industry, but in a positive way,” said Hill. “The language used by companies can be so negative – like ‘flawless’ suggests consumers have flaws they have to fix.”

Indeed, we have already witnessed the boomer consumer revolt against the use of negative terms such as ‘ageing’ and ‘correction’ in their beauty offering. “This play on insecurities can trick people into thinking brands care about them,” said Hill. For more on this, see Boomer Beauty: Securing the Silver Spend.